Nagano Day 1

February 6, 1998

Today

In the spotlight

The Opening Ceremony at Minami Nagano Sports Park Stadium is expected to be watched on television by more than two billion people. The well-choreographed ceremony will feature a 2,000-member choir and sumo wrestlers. Who will light the Olympic flame and exactly how it will be lit is a closely guarded secret.

Top medal contenders

Michelle Kwan and Elvis Stojko are the gold-medal favorites in figure skating, the marquee event of the Winter Games.

Upset special

The United States will get knocked off before reaching the gold medal men's hockey final.

Memorable moment

At the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, an archer lit the flame with a flaming arrow and at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, boxing great Muhammad Ali, his hands trembling from Parkinson's disease, lit the flame before an emotionally charged crowd.

Schedule

All events in Nagano unless noted

Opening Ceremony: Starts 9 p.m.

Day 2

TV HIGHLIGHTS

-- Skiing: men's downhill (live), 8-11 p.m.

-- Skiing: women's 15KM Classic, 8-11 p.m.

In the spotlight

The downhill course will be the scene of the Olympics' first event, which takes place Sunday morning Nagano time and will be televised live tonight. For five years, basically since Nagano was awarded the 1998 Olympics, the local organizing committee and FIS, the International Ski Federation, have feuded over the men's downhill course. FIS demanded that the start of the race at Happo'one in Hakuba be moved nearly 400 feet higher up the mountain. That, however, ran afoul of Japan's strict environmental laws because of a national park at the top of the mountain. After many threats, FIS got an extra 279 feet and still isn't happy.

Top medal contender

Austria's Andreas Schifferer has won four downhills this season and leads the World Cup standings.

Upset special

Hermann Maier, who has regained his form after tendinitis in his shinbones had sidelined him for 10 days, will surprise his countryman Schifferer.

1994, LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY: Three-time Olympian Tommy Moe, then 27, became only the second American to win an Olympic downhill gold medal in the fastest event in Alpine skiing.

Schedule

Alpine Skiing At Hakuba: Men's Downhill, 8:15 p.m.

Cross Country Skiing At Hakuba: Women's 15km classic, 7 p.m.

Free Style Skiing At Iizuna: Moguls preliminary, 7:30 p.m.

Men's Ice Hockey

At Big Hat

Italy vs. Kazakhstan, 2 a.m.

Germany vs. Japan, 6 a.m.

At Aqua Wing Austria vs. Slovakia, 2 a.m.

France vs. Belarus, 6 a.m.

Women's Ice Hockey

At Aqua Wing Sweden vs. Finland, 10 p.m.

Snow Board At Shiga: Men's Giant Slalom, 7:30 p.m.

Day 3

TV HIGHLIGHTS

-- Women's hockey: U.S. vs. China, 3-6 p.m.

-- Figure skating: pairs short program, 8-11 p.m.

In the spotlight

Women compete in hockey for the first time, nearly 80 years after the Olympic gods dropped the puck for the men. The U.S., favored to reach the gold-medal game against world champion Canada, opens against China. Meanwhile, figure skating begins with the pairs short program.

Local favorite Hiroyasu Shimizu takes the ice in front of the home crowd in the 500 meters, the quickest speed skating event of the Games, so quick that the top finishers will cross the line in just more than 35 seconds. The event concludes Tuesday. On the slopes, the first women's Alpine medal will be awarded in the Super-G.

Top medal contender

Katja Seizinger of Germany is the favorite in the women's Super-G after dominating the World Cup circuit.

Upset special

American KC Boutiette will upset gold-medal favorite Kyou-Hyuk Lee of Korea in the men's 500 meters.